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Student Services

Student Services
Student Services

Because success is achieved with 

a little support along the way

Liberal Arts is a community of people with a genuine interest in developing long-standing interpersonal relationships that help students succeed before and after they graduate. With this goal in mind, Liberal Arts Student Services connect students with the resources and opportunities they need to be successful. Our Student Services offices are all centrally located in Sparks Building.

Academic Advising

Academic Advising supports student success through a combination of in-person and virtual advising meetings. Students are encouraged to meet with their adviser at least once a semester to discuss courses, degree progress, education abroad, and more. Students can also meet with a peer adviser or the academic recovery specialist.

Academic Scholarships

Academic scholarships are a key piece to college affordability. Thanks to the generosity of our Liberal Arts alumni and donors, the College of the Liberal Arts offers need-based scholarships for students with at least one Liberal Arts undergraduate major enrolled at Penn State University Park.

Career Enrichment Network

The Career Enrichment Network is a resource for Liberal Arts students looking for career-readiness, international, and professional development activities. Students can meet with a career coach to discuss internships, education abroad, research, the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program, and more!

“The Chaiken Center means community. I know it is a place I am welcomed and validated.”
Anonymous

Chaiken Center for Student Success

The Chaiken Center for Student Success connects and guides students to the right resources and support they need—when they need it—in their academic journey. The Chaiken Center is a built-in community designed specifically for Liberal Arts students to connect to peers, support staff, and others providing resource information and friendly networking opportunities crucial to their college success.

Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity

The Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity supports the success of the traditionally underrepresented students in higher education. The office serves as a collaborative link with other University partners to support student success. The office helps students get involved through student organizations, research opportunities, education abroad experiences, and more.

Paterno Fellows Program

The Paterno Fellows Program is an innovative program offered jointly by the College of the Liberal Arts and Schreyer Honors College that encourages students to challenge themselves academically and distinguish themselves in areas traditionally associated with the liberal arts—ethics, service, and leadership; excellence in communication; and intercultural awareness.

DanielZahn (1)
Career Enrichment NetworkCommunication Arts and SciencesEducation AbroadEnglishEnrichment FundingPaterno FellowsPhilosophyResearch

Daniel Zahn

’20
English
|
Philosophy
|
Communication Arts and Sciences
English
Philosophy
Communication Arts and Sciences
As a student, Daniel, a Paterno Fellow alumnus, participated in a linguistics research project in Bassila, Benin made possible by the Career Enrichment Network, where his research focused on everyday language use.
MitchellWooten (1)
Career Enrichment NetworkEconomicsPolitical Science

Mitchell Wootten

’19
Political Science
|
Economics minor
Political Science
Economics minor
Mitchell, a policy specialist for Google, advises current students to take advantage of Penn State’s career resources, including the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network. Mitchell says his Liberal Arts education provided analysis tools needed to be an effective leader and communicator.
NoraVanHorn3 (1)
Campus LeaderCareer Enrichment NetworkChineseGlobal and International StudiesInternshipsPaterno FellowsPhilosophySustainability

Nora Van Horn

’22
Philosophy
|
Chinese
|
Global and International Studies
Philosophy
Chinese
Global and International Studies
Nora created a lasting change for sustainability at Penn State. She helped establish the University Park Undergraduate Association’s Department of Sustainability and the University’s Environmental Sustainability Fund to support on-campus sustainability efforts.
ImaniMurrayAustria (1)
ChineseEID AlumniEID Earl

Imani Murray

’22
Imani had the opportunity to travel to Austria through a trip hosted by the College of the Liberal Arts. After getting an email advertising the trip, Murray met with Earl F. Merritt, director of the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity, to explain that she was interested in the trip but couldn’t afford it. In response, the office paid for Murray’s trip in full. “The College of the Liberal Arts really gave me an opportunity, and that opportunity has now allowed me to share with others, especially Black students, how studying abroad can be accessible even when it doesn’t seem feasible. Earl Merritt opened that door for me.”
GwendolynBoe (1)
Career Enrichment NetworkCourse SpotlightCriminologyEducation AbroadEmbedded Course

Gwendolyn Boe

’23
Criminology
Criminology
Gwendolyn spent a week in Curaçao as part of CRIM 425. She said the trip focused on studying organized crime and that “being there and hearing from the people directly involved helped me understand the true impact and the challenges that these people face.”
Hamza-Al-Aufi (1)
Career Enrichment NetworkChapel InternsEconomicsEIDEnrichment FundingInternational PoliticsInternational StudentInternship

Hamza Al Aufi

’23
Economics
|
International Politics
Economics
International Politics
Hamza, an international student, received funding through the Virginia Todd Chapel Executive Internship Program, which allowed him to intern with Swiss Re America Holding Corporation in Armonk, New York. He learned about the opportunity by meeting with a career coach in the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network.
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